Newsbreak editor gets death threat

It would seen that threats against journalists and freedom of expression are no longer confined to the provinces but has made its way to the capital. It is indeed an indication of the sad state of affairs even as it is another proof that the culture of impunity makes journalists so vulnerable.

Here’s the post from Newsbreak’s ed-in-chief Maritess Vitug:
Last night (August 2), at around 8:30 p.m., a wreath meant for the dead was delivered to the family residence of our managing editor, Glenda M. Gloria, in Quezon City. On the ribbon was written, “Condolence from your loving friends.” The delivery boy was instructed to give the flowers to Glenda Gloria and that she would know where the deceased is.

Ms. Gloria spoke to the delivery boy and he said that a man in a black car, around 30 years old, bought the wreath from their small flower shop on Araneta Avenue. The man said that he was an employee of the company where Ms. Gloria worked and he gave his address as “Metro Manila.” He instructed the delivery boy to go to two addresses: one is Ms. Gloria’s old address which is on her Smart cell phone bill and the other is her family address. The man told the delivery boy that it was a rush job and paid P1,000 for the wreath.

The man also gave specific instructions to the delivery boy that if Ms. Gloria were not in the first address, “where she rents,” he should proceed to the second address.

Ms. Gloria’s recent stories in Newsbreak have to do with the military. In our July 4, 2005 issue, she wrote on the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces as the “number one suspect” in the wiretap scandal. In our latest issue (August 15, 2005), she wrote on the alleged participation of some officers in the 2004 election fraud in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

As managing editor, she also supervises and coordinates reporting of stories.

Glenda, together with Raphael Martin, won the 2nd place in the investigative category of the 2005 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism for their story “Cover-up in the military” published in Newsbreak’s November 8, 2004 issue.

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